A page-turning new historical mystery for fans of Susan Elia MacNeal’s Maggie Hope series and Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network.How far would you go for vengeance?It’s V-E Day 1946 in London. World War II is long over, and former spy Livy Nash is celebrating with her third drink before noon. She went to war to kill Nazis. Dropped behind enemy lines as a courier, she quickly became one of the … enemy lines as a courier, she quickly became one of the toughest agents in France. But her war ended with betrayal and the execution of the man she loved. Now, Livy spends her days proofreading a demeaning advice column for little ladies at home, and her nights alone with black market vodka.
But everything changes when she meets the infamous Ian Fleming. The man who will create the world’s most sophisticated secret agent has an agenda of his own and sends Livy back to France with one task: track down the traitor who killed the only man she ever loved. Livy jumps at the chance, heading back to Paris undercover as a journalist. But the City of Lights is teeming with spies, and Livy quickly learns just how much the game has changed. With enemies on every corner and ever-shifting alliances, she’ll have to learn to fight a new war if she wants to conquer the past once and for all.
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The war may be over, but those who have survived have plenty to still “conquer” inside themselves.
The time and place(s) are well presented.
The internal turmoil is painfully clear.
What options does a demobilized woman have? What should she do with those survival skills she learned and depended upon?
A good read.
SPITFIRE is a delightful fast-paced thriller that follows Livy Nash as she struggles to find her place in post-World War II Britain. After a war spent working with the French Resistance, a mundane nine-to-five job leaves Livy looking for more, and when she’s recruited to travel to Paris to meet with the leader of a spy network, she jumps at the chance. Filled with memorable characters and plenty of twists, this is a great choice for fans of rollicking spy stories. The second book in the series is due out later this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing where these characters go next.
“SPITFIRE” by M.L. Huie
I loved this book so much! A historical fiction mystery and thriller read that kept me glued to this book for the few days I have been immersed in this wonderful book! I was transported right away to the 1940’s during the WWII as the country is recovering from the war. Livy Nash is an amazing character that is very well written and I am hoping to read more of her character in future books in the series. The world building as you read this book is simply out of this world. You will feel the immersion as Paris comes to life in that era – the sights, the sounds, the people. This is not just another Historical Fiction novel – this one is about espionage and the thrilling element with a splash of revenge and redemption is what makes this read absolutely phenomenal!!
I had to keep on reading. You get to know Olivia Nash as woman full of courage holding her own in a man’s world. (not the often portrayed sexy spy). After the war she has trouble adjusting to the civilian life, dealing with her loss and becomes a heavy drinker until she gets talked into going back to France. Finding the spy game completely changed from the wartime experience it’s hard to tell who is friend or enemy. This book keeps you guessing till the end. Hope we get to see a follow up in this series.
Pleasantly surprised by this debut novel and the first in a new historical series. And I will definitely want to continue with future adventures.
Livy Nash is a British spy during and post WWII. She is out for revenge for the death of her leader/lover while also striving to retrieve a master spy network list. She’s tough, determined and flawed. And while there were some unbelievable moments and times when she frustrated me, I was entertained and eager to see how it turned out and was especially caught off guard by a late-in-the-game plot twist. Would definitely recommend for spy and historical mystery lovers.
Many thanks to #CrookedLaneBooks and #NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
A rather intense spy story. The story was much more interesting in the last half of the book. It keeps you guessing as to who’s good or bad. It was an interesting enough book that I would probably read the next one. Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy
Perfect for Len Deighton fans and lovers of Luke Jennings’ Codename Villanelle (aka Killing Eve) alike. Impeccably plotted and peopled with likable, immediately, recognizable characters, ML Huie serves up a taste of gritty, post war Europe and Spitfire is deliciously entertaining. The irrepressible Livy Nash must navigate every kind of intrigue, from London after the Blitz, to from steam filled train platforms, to a sinister theatre of the macabre, not to mention a sublime, glamorous hotel or two. Spitfire is a perfect escape and a corking good read!
spies, spooks, historical-research, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-novel, international-crime-and-mystery
Livy worked for British Intelligence in France during the war and a year later she is bitter, soused, and jobless when a bloke named Ian Fleming looks her up and invites her to get back in the game. From then on it’s as good as it gets. Snappy spy novel with all the twists and misdirections you could hope for and truly interesting characters! Kept me rapt to the end!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Spitfire by M.L. Huie is an excellent post-WWII historical fiction/thriller full of cloak and dagger, mystery, espionage, and double-crossing prose.
This is the first of the Livy Nash series and it is divine.
I love Olivia (Livy) Nash and her flawed character. I love how she evolves and gets her footing as the book progresses. Livy has to face her demons head on and decides to swim against the currents vs sink.
I also love the supporting cast. All of the characters are intriguing and almost no one is as they seem.
I love the story line and the twists and turns that take the reader for a wild ride. It was thrilling to the end.
The ending was satisfying, yet leaves us with somewhere to go for the next book.
I cannot wait to read the continuing installments because I feel this has the potential to be an amazing series. In a market saturated right now with WWII era books, this sets itself apart from the rest.
5/5 stars enthusiastically
Spitfire by M.L. Huie is the first in a new series featuring Livy Nash who had been a spy during World War II but now was an alcoholic employed as a copy editor for a third-rate newspaper in London. The things she had seen had proven to be too much. As we open, there is to be a ceremony at the Palace recognizing those who had fulfilled this mission. She was to go but when she arrived, circumstances kept her from entering and being award a medal. She did however, run into her editor’s wife, a woman she had little respect for, sadly. She crept into the nearest pub where she was contemplating her past when she was approached by a man names Ian Fleming, who represented a news conglomerate. He gave her his card and set an appointment for the following day. It turns out it was a good thing, because the editor’s wife had described their run-in to her husband and she was summarily fired the next morning. She was two hours late for her appointment with Mr. Fleming.
I heard about this book from a group of mystery authors at a book signing. There is no higher recommendation than this. It turns out they were right. This is set to be a terrific series. It was a great beginning. Ivy has been traumatized and has taken to drink, but she knows this might be her last chance and so she really tries. She learns all he wants her to learn, but when her first assignment arrives, it doesn’t work out. It was a test, she hopes, and not the real thing. She is sent to post-Nazi France in search of a list of names of people who make up a spy network, which had been in place during her previous time there…on the other side. Somehow they were still functioning and could be a great asset if they could be turned. When shown his picture, she recognized the leader, a double agent who had betrayed her and her boss, who had ended up dead. She promised herself she would not let him get away with it. Ivy is a terrific character and the mystery was a good one. Huie did a good job with misdirection so that the finale didn’t come until it was time. No guessing ahead of time. A good book. I look forward to more. I highly recommend it.
I received a free copy of Spitfire from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #spitfire